Or should we call them hot can?
With September here, it won’t be long until Japan’s vending machines start getting stocked with hot beverages. On a crisp autumn afternoon or chilly winter night, there’s a special kind of comforting relaxation that comes from warming yourself up with some green tea or coffee, but this year you’ll also be able to get hot pot from Japan’s vending machines.
I suppose you could make the argument that, linguistically, these should be called hot can instead of hot pot, based on the containers they come in. That said, inside those cans is broth from the nabe (Japanese hot pot) base brand Shimenabe, produced by food company Mizkan. Shimenabe is one of Japan’s most popular brands of hot pot stock for home chefs, and now, thanks to a partnership with beverage company Dydo, two types are going to be sold as ready-to-drink canned hot pot soups.
The first, pictured above, is the Goma Tonyu, or Sesame Soy Milk, canned hot pot. Made with a chicken and vegetable stock, Dydo and Mizkan promise a rich, deep taste and enticing aroma. The second flavor is the Hotate and Hamaguri (Scallops and Clam) seafood hot pot, with a fish-based dashi stock and shellfish extract for a robust, complex flavor.
Both of the canned Shimenabe soups are done in a zosui style, meaning they have rice in them too, making them drinkable snacks for when you’re feeling both a little chilly and a little hungry. While the preview photos show their contents poured into a bowl and served with a spoon for a classy presentation, like all vending machine drinks these are actually meant to be sipped straight from the can.
Both versions of Dydo’s canned hot pot are priced at 160 yen (US$1) and will be appearing in vending machines, and in stores as well, starting October 26.
Source, images: PR Times
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